Received this e-mail today from former Rep. Betty Sutton’s (D. OH) gubernatorial campaign:
Rep. Betty Sutton (D. OH)
After a failed attempt to gut funding for our Great Lakes in this year’s budget, President Trump has tried again in his newly proposed 2018 budget. The plan eliminates federal funding that would provide protection for our Great Lakes.
And, worst of all, yesterday Trump announced he is withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate agreement, a landmark deal reached among 195 nations to address climate change.
Protecting our natural resources requires strong leadership at every level of government to fight for an economic agenda that prioritizes protecting our Great Lakes, creating jobs, and boosting wages for working families.
Too often we are told that job creation and protecting our environment are inherently opposed. I don't believe that. In fact, I've spent my life fighting for jobs and our environment in tandem.
As the executive in charge of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, I oversaw operations and maintenance of the U.S. Seaway, which supports economic activity in the Great Lakes Region that accounts for one-quarter of the U.S. gross domestic product, provides 227,000 jobs, $35 billion in business revenue, $14 billion in personal income, and $5 billion in federal, state and local taxes.
That experience helped prepare me for a future that requires protecting our natural resources and Great Lakes while creating new, good-paying jobs.
Protecting our lakes doesn't just make sense for our planet, it makes sense for our economy.
